Nelly Korda wins her first U.S. Womens Open crown

Nelly Korda watched another person hoist the trophy at last 12 months’s U.S. Women’s Open.

This time, it was Korda who did the heavy lifting.

The world’s No. 1 girls’s golfer received for the fourth time in 2026 on Sunday and checked off the most important merchandise on her to-do listing.

Korda claimed her first U.S. Open title, pulling forward on the back 9 at Riviera Country Club, which was taking part in host to the major championship for the first time.

It was something but a wire-to-wire win for Korda, who struggled on the tee and limped through the opening spherical at two over par. But she shot a pair of 67s on Friday and Saturday, then closed out the victory Sunday with a 69 on a postcard afternoon.

Fittingly, the ultimate putt — two ft, 10 inches — was dramatic, burning the left edge before curling back into the cup. With the victory comes a $2.5-million prize.

Korda gasped, coated her mouth, waved to the gang and wiped away tears. She made her manner to her household on the perimeter of the inexperienced, was showered by champagne and took a swig.

She was locked in a four-way tie for first — Charley Hull of England, Gaby Lopez of Mexico and In Gee Chun of Korea also at seven under — and broke free with a long birdie putt on No. 17.

Hull and Lopez tied for second, one shot back.

Korda, 27, is the youngest American participant to win 4 majors since Mickey Wright in 1960.

There can be no playoff, not with Korda closing the deal with a par on No. 18. She made a two-foot, 10-inch putt that practically missed as it curled into the outlet.

Korda has a championship pedigree. Her older sister, Jessica, was a six-time winner on the LPGA Tour. Their father, Petr Korda, received the 1998 Australian Open in singles tennis. Nelly’s brother, Sebastian, is also a skilled tennis participant.

When the match began, the main focus was on Korda’s ft. She was gifted a pair of Nike Victory Pro 4 golf footwear from LeBron James but modified out of them after six holes because they felt too roomy. It was a unhealthy day for her as she was spraying her tee pictures.

The focus then shifted to her head. She has labored on her mentality this 12 months after going winless in 2025.

“I’ve tried to have a mindset shift,” she told reporters Saturday. “I’ve tried to have the attitude of instead of saying, `I’m screwed in this position. Oh, here we go again,’ I’m just going to embrace the challenges, and I’m not going to walk off the golf course. I’m just going to figure it out.”

Korda, who had the fewest bogeys of anybody in the sector (seven), was usually regular Sunday, saving pars when she needed to despite crosswinds that picked up in the afternoon and made placing trickier.

There had been loads of compelling story traces taking form as the solar started to dip on the legendary course.

Lopez, who made a great birdie putt on 18 to briefly declare a share of the lead, was wanting to develop into the first Mexican lady to win the Open and the second to win a major behind her mentor, Lorena Ochoa, who received the Chevron in 2008.

After making par on each of the first 9 holes, Lopez made her transfer on the back with 4 birdies.

“I’ll say that at the beginning of the day I felt way more nervous than at the end,” Lopez said. “At the beginning it’s all the energy, you’re trying to get a run, but the U.S. Open it’s about waiting and waiting and waiting, and once you get your chance you kind of ride the wave.”

Hull, a runner-up in a major for the fifth time, was wanting to develop into the third English lady to win the Open, matching Laura Davies (1987) and Alison Nicholas (1997).

Amazingly, Hull practically missed the cut after over-par rounds of 73 and 72 on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, she shot a 65 — the bottom spherical of anybody in the sector on any day — and adopted with a 67 on Sunday.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Hall matched the U.S. Women’s Open file for the bottom 36-hole rating in the ultimate two rounds (132), set by Meg Mallon when she received in 2004.

“It’s frustrating,” Hull said. “Another second place.”

She added: “I love the feel of being under the gun, under pressure. It’s not like a life-and-death situation, but you know that adrenaline that you get…”

Chun had a probability to win her fourth major and bookend Open victories, as she received this match in 2015. That would have been the second-biggest hole between Open victories.